Recital 39

(39)To ensure that all Union citizens can enjoy the benefits of making more company information available in business registers, it is essential that such information is provided to persons with disabilities in accessible formats. Pursuant to Article 9 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, State parties are to take appropriate measures to ensure that persons with disabilities can access, on an equal basis with others, inter alia, information and communications, including information and communications technologies and systems, and other facilities and services open or provided to the public. In this regard, the Directive (EU) 2016/2102 of the European Parliament and of the Council ¹⁷ sets out general accessibility requirements for websites and mobile applications of public sector bodies with a view to making them more accessible to users, in particular persons with disabilities, and to fostering interoperability. That Directive encourages Member States to extend its application to private entities that offer facilities and services which are open or provided to the public. Furthermore, Directive (EU) 2019/882 of the European Parliament and of the Council ¹⁸ contains accessibility requirements for certain products and services including their websites and related information. Given the diversity of bodies responsible for the management of business registers, ranging from courts and administrative authorities to private entities, and the diverse activities performed by business registers, it should be assessed whether specific measures are needed to ensure that persons with disabilities are able to access company information provided by the business registers in all the Member States on an equal basis with other users.